FARTHEST SOUTH.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 347, 25 March 1911, Page 7

FARTHEST SOUTH.

Dr. William Spiers Bruce, who has had vast experience in connection with Polar expeditions, and who himself intends to organise an' Antarctic expedition to leave England in 1911, contributes an interesting article on South Polar exploration to the "London Magazine." For the latest attempt made by Lieutenant Shackleton.. Dr. Bruce has some very warm words of praise. The " Nimrod," it will be remembered, left England in July, 1907, and sailed from New Zealand on New Year's Day, 1908 ; taking advantage of the information gleaned by Captain Scott during the voyage of the Discovery, the party pushed southward by the Scott track of 1902, not only gained the point which up to that time was "farthest South," but penetrated 42!> miles beyond, and got within 111 miles of the South Pole. The most exasperating thing for Lieutenant Shackleton to look back upon is the almost certain fact that if four Manchuri;>n ponies who accompanied the party had not killed themselves by greedily eating sand., he would have reached the Pole itself. Some of the obstacles overcome were stupendous, and almost superhuman efforts were made again and again by the plucky little band. Mountain ranges had to be crossed, a glacier 120 miles long and 40 miles wide was traversed, and at an altitude of 10,500 feet the party experienced all the hardships of Antarctic weather, storms raging for no less than sixty hours at a stretch. When they reached their farthest point, the severest part of the journey had probably been accomplished, but as the members of the expedition were becoming subject to frost-bite, even in their sleeping-bags, it was decided to go no further. The Queen's flag was j)l;:nt<Hl, and the return journey begi:n "In every sense," says Dr. Bruce, "the expedition has outstripped the most sanguine expectations, and has accomplished by far the most striking series of records of any Polar expedition."